Examples:
1) The department issues a first written request for records to Corporation A on September 1, 2016, allowing Corporation A until October 6, 2016, to provide the records requested. Corporation A does not provide the requested records to the department by October 6, 2016. The department issues a second written request for records to Corporation A on October 21, 2016, allowing Corporation A until November 30, 2016, to provide the records requested. Included in this second written request for records is a notification regarding the penalties provided by s. 77.61(19), Stats. Corporation A does not provide the requested records by November 30, 2016. The department mails a summons request for records to Corporation A which is received on December 20, 2016, allowing Corporation A until January 31, 2017, to provide the records requested. Corporation A does not provide the requested records by January 31, 2017. Therefore, the department may disallow the deductions, credits, or exemptions or include the additional taxable sales or additional taxable purchases to which the requested records relate and impose a penalty equal to the greater of $500 or 25% of the additional tax on the adjustments made resulting from Corporation A not providing the records requested.
2) The department issues a first written request for records to Corporation B on December 21, 2016, allowing Corporation B until January 20, 2017, to provide the records requested. Corporation B does not provide the requested records to the department by January 20, 2017. The department issues a second written request for records to Corporation B on February 8, 2017, allowing Corporation B until March 10, 2017, to provide the records requested. Included in this second written request for records is a notification regarding the penalties provided by s. 77.61(19), Stats. Corporation B does not provide the requested records to the department by March 10, 2017. The department personally serves a summons request for records on Corporation B on March 28, 2017, allowing Corporation B until May 10, 2017, to provide the records requested. Corporation B provides records to the department by May 10, 2017, but the department determines that the taxpayer did not provide some of the records requested by May 10, 2017. Therefore, since the taxpayer did not provide all of the records requested by May 10, 2017, the department may disallow the deductions, credits, or exemptions or include the additional taxable sales or additional taxable purchases to which the requested records that were not provided relate and impose a penalty equal to the greater of $500 or 25% of the additional tax on the adjustments made resulting from the requested records that were not provided.
Examples:
1) Since Corporation C does not provide the records requested by the date specified in a summons request for records to support deductions for exempt sales, the department issues a proposed audit report to Corporation C disallowing all the deductions for exempt sales previously claimed, which represents the penalty provided in s. 77.61(19) (a) 1, Stats. Additional tax of $100,000 and the penalty as provided in s. 77.61(19) (a) 2, Stats., of $25,000 results in the proposed audit report from disallowing the deductions for exempt sales. Corporation C provides the records requested 26 days after the department issues the proposed audit report but before the notice of assessment is issued and explains, without any further detail, that they were too busy with other aspects of their business to respond to the three written requests for records by the dates specified. In this situation, the failure to provide the records requested is not reasonable or justified by factors beyond the person's control. In addition, the records provided do not support a reduction of the exempt sales deductions disallowed in the proposed audit report. Therefore, the deductions for exempt sales adjustment is not modified so the proposed additional tax of $100,000 and the original proposed penalty as provided in s. 77.61(19) (a) 2, Stats., of $25,000 remain.
2) Since Mr. Smith does not provide the records requested regarding his business, which primarily receives payments in cash, to support the reported gross receipts by the date specified in a summons request for records, the department issues a notice of assessment to Mr. Smith including an estimated amount into taxable sales for unreported receipts, which represents the penalty provided in s. 77.61(19) (a) 1, Stats. Additional tax of $60,000, a negligence penalty of $15,000 and the penalty as provided in s. 77.61(19) (a) 2, Stats., of $15,000 results in the assessment from including these estimated receipts. Mr. Smith appeals the assessment, provides the records that were requested during the audit, and explains that he forgot to provide the records that were previously requested. In this situation, the failure to provide the records requested is not reasonable or justified by factors beyond the person's control. However, the records provided show that unreported receipts were only 20% of the amount previously included by the department as estimated unreported receipts. Therefore, the unreported receipts adjustment is modified to reduce the additional tax from $60,000 to $12,000, the negligence penalty is reduced from $15,000 to $3,000 and the original penalty as provided in s. 77.61(19) (a) 2, Stats., is reduced from $15,000 to $3,000.
3) Assume the same facts as example 2, except that Mr. Smith explains that he did not previously provide the requested records because his accountant had possession of them and was in the hospital when the records were requested during the audit. In this situation the failure to provide the records requested is reasonable or justified by factors beyond the person's control. Therefore, the unreported receipts adjustment is modified to reduce the additional tax from $60,000 to $12,000, the negligence penalty is reduced from $15,000 to $3,000 and the original penalty as provided in s. 77.61(19) (a) 2, Stats., of $15,000 is waived.
Wis. Admin. Code Department of Revenue Tax 11.90